Woodworking beginners seeking the right power tools for their DIY projects often wonder which between a jigsaw and circular saw is best for their needs. Being new to the whole jigsaw vs circular saw debate, they have a tough time deciding which to choose. For instance, it might not be obvious whether to choose a jigsaw or circular saw for decking or other needs.
If this sounds like you worry not. This guide will help you choose the right saw for your needs and get you making the right choice for your specific project. Read on for more!
What is a Jigsaw?
The jigsaw, often referred to as a scroll or saber saw, is almost always the power tool of choice for nearly all home improvement and repair projects. Exaggerated or not, a jigsaw blade facilitates a variety of cuts, including cut curves that you would not easily achieve with some saws. You can use a jigsaw to cut through a variety of materials.
Jigsaws are powered by the motion of a reciprocating blade that moves back and forth. The blade is housed in a horizontal frame. In the housing of these types of saws is a metal shoe whose function is to guide the blade and prevent unintended harm to yourself. The shoe is encased in a transparent blade guard, a feature that is also common in other saws.
The jigsaw’s handle houses a trigger mechanism and a variable selection. The trigger engages the saw’s power while the variable selection is used to adjust the speed of the cutting blade.
Here's What Jigsaws are Best for?
Jigsaws are designed to work with a range of blades, making them easy to adapt for different materials. The types of cuts you can make with jigsaws are as listed below:
- Making freehand cuts in home improvement projects that do not need precision
- Making cuts along an edge with the help of a side fence
- Cutting different materials parallel to a temporary fence with precision
- Bevel cuts by altering the blade angle inside the tool’s shoe
- Cutting apertures inside a board
- Make curved cuts using a compass or free hand
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What is a Circular Saw?
The circular saw serves the same function as a table saw: both power tools can cut straight lines with precision and accuracy. These power tools are quite common in construction sites and woodworking shops. Jigsaws are often used to perform building and repair tasks, or cutting through large boards. They are preferred for these functions as they can achieve tidy and neat straight or curved cuts.
The saw is best suited for DIY projects requiring straight line or curved jobs to be done fast and neatly with a blade whose diameter ranges between 85mm and 235 mm. This tool is good at straight line jobs, but you can achieve even better results with a guide.
When buying this saw, its revolutions per minute (RPM) is a key consideration. A brand such as a corded Bosch Professional saw can achieve more than 5900 rpm. A cordless Bosch model, on the other hand, running on 18 volts rechargeable batteries can achieve 4250 rpm.
However, these RPMs vary based on the type of material you are cutting. You can use this saw to cut plastic, ceramics, masonry, metal, and a host of other materials other than wood.
You need a specific blade to cut either one of the materials. Also, something else to note is that the blade used for cutting plastic has several teeth, averaging 60 in number, whereas the one for cutting stone has none at all.
Here's What Circular Saws are Best for?
Jigsaws and circular saws are designed to serve specific functions. You can achieve each of these types of cuts with a circular; Free hands, Rip, Bevel cut, Miter and Cross cut.
A circular saw and a table saw accept blades of various types, which makes them ideal for a number of cutting projects, especially those that require long and straight cuts. Some of these blades, and their use are as follows;
- Carbide-tipped blades – these can be used for all sorts of cutting jobs because they offer a neat finish.
- Fine toothed blades – these blades cut slowly and are only suited for projects involving plastic or plastic laminated chipboards.
- Chisel toothed blades – these blades are able to crosscut and rip wood neatly, making them the most preferred for all-in-one projects
- Point toothed blades – these are best suited for crosscutting solid wood where a straight finish is the goal.
- Rip blades – these have tips made of tungsten carbide. They are best suited for softwood boards.
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Similarities and Differences Between a Jigsaw and Circular Saw
Jigsaws and circular saws share a few similarities. They are both handheld tools with blades that can handle a wide variety of materials including PVC, a shortlist of soft metal, and wood. But this is as far as their similarities go.
With regards to differences, there is a lot that sets jigsaws and circular saws apart. Circular saw blades have teeth on the blade’s periphery whereas a jigsaw features a thin and straight blade with the cutting teeth set on one long edge.
Another key difference between jigsaws and circular saws is that the former use straight blades that run up and down. They are typically used to create curves since their blade is thin and can work around tight spaces. The saw is also quite useful for making notches because the blade can make straight cuts at the same point through a piece of wood.
Circular saws spin to slice through a material. The tool is often used to make rough cuts on lumber of plywood in a straight line. You can also use it to do finishing work when the right blade is attached.
The tool also works differently in that the material that needs cutting is fed against the stock. The reciprocating action of a jigsaw moves across a material. As stated earlier, the circular saw makes straight, rip, miter, and bevel cuts while the jigsaw achieves scribe, complex and straight cuts.
In terms of depth, the circular saw can work through a range of thicknesses whereas the jigsaw can only be used to cut through a material’s thickness. Additionally, a circular saw cuts through most materials much faster than the jigsaw, although the latter is versatile and can make a variety of cuts with ease. Circular saws have a low safety rating, making them quite dangerous to work with compared to jigsaw.
Jigsaw vs Circular Saw: How to Determine Which One You Need
After assessing and knowing the features of each tool, the next step is to decide what project you would like to accomplish. Seeing as a jigsaw and a circular saw perform different functions, the most logical thing to do is choose based on the needs of your project.
Jigsaws do not make precise cuts, although they can be used to achieve a variety of cuts compared to circular saws. For this reason, they are best suited for jobs that do not require an extreme level of accuracy like ornamental woodwork or home renovation projects. Using a jigsaw, you can make huge sweeping cuts.
On the other hand, circular saws offer a high level of accuracy and precision as well as better cutting overall. This tool is often used in conjunction with specialist saws such as the table saw. It is also designed to achieve highly exact straight-line cuts. If your goal is to have a saw that is able to withstand the rigors of furniture making or construction site work, the circular saw is much better in this sense than a jigsaw.
Note that there is no restriction on whether you can own both. You can buy both tools as they are designed to operate in different job settings. One is meant to offer straight-line cuts, while the other is suited for DIYs and hard curves.
Corded vs Cordless Saws: Which One to Buy?
Both tools are available as either corded or cordless products. Knowing which to choose is often the trickiest part. The cordless version is ideal for people who run small workshops and have to move a lot to assemble their projects. If you have to work on a huge piece of wood but are restricted by a corded tool, that would negatively impact how fast you finish your project. A cordless tool is also an ideal choice for off-site tasks. They are portable, but you have to keep an eye on their rechargeable battery.
If you are managing a huge project where you need to make very many cuts through tough and thick materials, a corded tool makes much more sense. A corded tool offers more cutting power and is best suited to make cuts through thick or tough materials.
Plus, you won’t have to worry about your corded tool running low on battery because they run off a mains power outlet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better jigsaw or circular saw?
A jig saw and the circular type have unique uses. A jigsaw is a better choice than its circular counterpart if your project requires you to do complex cuts. But a circular saw makes better sense if your job desires long straight lines as it cuts straight with ease. That said, a jigsaw is much more versatile as it can achieve various cuts, while a circular type is great for thick materials and instances where you need to switch between blades.
Is a jigsaw safer than a circular saw?
Jigsaw blades are safer to operate because they are small in size by design. Additionally, the amount of dust jigsaw blades generate and blow is much less. For beginners with very little saw handling or carpentry experience, the jigsaw is a better first buy than a circular saw. The circular saw is huge, which is one reason why it has a low safety rating.
Can you use a jigsaw-like a circular saw?
The use of these two tools differs on the basis of the job at hand. For a majority of cutting jobs, these tools can be used interchangeably. However, there are tasks that are specific to each tool,
and as such, you cannot use one in place of another. As an example, it would not make sense to use a jig to work on thick material, when this task is best done using a circular saw.
In the same way, it would be improper to use a circular saw to make complex tasks when you are better served using a jigsaw
Can you cut a 2x4 with a jigsaw?
Yes, it is able to cut a 2x4. However, you must ensure that your cutting blade extends by at least one inch underneath the piece you are cutting. A short blade could cause your piece to buck. Also note that the resulting job will not be neat or precise.
Furthermore, a 2x4 is quite thick and that might cause your blade to flex resulting in a wobbly edge.
Final Verdict
When deciding which to use in the jigsaw vs circular saw debate, one thing to consider is the use of each tool. If you do not need to cut complex curves, the most ideal tool in this case is a circular saw. These types of saws are designed to make straight-line cuts very fast. However, if you are a hardcore DIYer whose projects require complex maneuvers, the jigsaw would be the most ideal power tool. This tool is quite versatile and can make all kinds of cuts.
As regards jigsaw vs circular saw, the former is a great option as a first power tool. It is the saw to buy first, you can always buy a circular tool at a later time.